The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1887-04-08

as she sat there opposite to him on tho little
stool, her sleeves rolled up almost to the
shoulder, showing pair Of arms that would
not have dsgraced statue OF Venus, and
| laughed and chatted away rs she washed the
feathers. Now, John Mel was not n susceptl-
ble man he had gone through the fire years
before and burned his fingers like many
another conilding youngster; but, oil the
same, he did wonder as he sat there ana
watched this fair girl, who somehow reminded
him of rich rosebud bursting into bloom,
how long it would he possible to live in the
same house with her without falling under
tho spell of her charm and beauty. And
then he began to think Of jess, and what
strange contrast the two were
"Whcre is your sister!' he asked presently.
"Jessi Oh, think that she has gone to
the Lion Kloof, reading or stretching, don't
know which You see, in this establishment
represent labor and Jess represents intel
lect," and she nodded her head prettily ut
him, and added, "1here is n mistake some
where; she got all the brains"
"Ah," said John, quietly, and looking up at
her. ~ don't think that you are entitled to
complain of the way that nature has treated
YOU"
She blushed a little, more at the tono of his
voice than the words, and went on hastily:
"Jess is tho dearest, best and cleverest woman
in the whole world-there, believe that she
has only one fault, and that is that she thinks
too much about me- Uncle told me that he
had told you how we came here first when
was years old. Well, l remember that
when we lost our way OH the veldt that
night, and it rained so and was SO cold, jess
took off her own shawl and wrapped it round
me over my own. Well, it has been just like
that with her always. ! am always to have
the shawl-everythin is to give way to me.
But there, that is jess all over; she is very
cold, cold as stone, sometimes think, but
when she does care for anybody it is enough
to brighten one. don't know great num-
Der of women, but somehow / don't think
that there can be many in the world like JESS
She is too good for this wild place, she ought
to go away to England, write books and be-
come famous woman, only she added, re-
fectively 81 am afraid that Jess books
would all be sad ones"
Just then Bessie stopped and suddenly
changed color, the bunch of lank, wet
feathers she held in her hand dropping from
it with a little splash back into the BATH Fol
lowing her glance, John looked down the
avenue of blue gum trees and perceived big
nanSvlth q broad hat ana mounted on
splendid black horse, cantering leisurely to-
ward the house.
"Who is that, Miss Croft" he asked.
at is a man l don't like" she said, with
little stamp OF her foot. "His name is Frank
Muller, and he is half Boer and half an
He is very rich and very
clever, and owns all the land round this place,
so uncle has to be civil to him, though he
does not like him either l wonder what he
wants now"
On came the horse, and John thought that
It's rider was going to pass without seeing |
hem, when suddenly the movement OF Bes-
lies dress between the "naatche" trees caught |
lis eye, and he pulled up and looked round. |
lie was large and exceedingly handsome |
nan, apparently about 40 years old, with |
lear cut features, cold, light blue eyes and a
golden beard that hung right
own o7er his chest. For Boer he was rather
MARTY dressed, in English made tweed
lothes and tall riding boots.
"Ah, Miss Bessie" he called out in English,
there You are with your pretty arms all bare.
m in luck to come just in time to see them.
hall come and help you to wash the feath-
rsl Only say the wo:'d, now